In the construction industry, many projects involve use of, and work with, concrete or other similar materials. At the end of a working shift, construction personnel often clean tools, used to handle concrete, with water. In some jurisdictions, the disposal of the water used to wash construction tools and equipment is regulated. For instance, the water, when used to wash out tools that were used in handling concrete, often contains dangerous or harmful materials such as chromium and other heavy metals. The pH value of the water is often very high, to the point where it must be handled in a controlled fashion.
Current solutions to this problem involve simply lining a large dumpster with a water-impermeable material, such as plastic. The tools to be washed out are then suspended over the dumpster and water is used to wash off the tools. The water and sedimentary material, after it washes out the tools, is captured in the dumpster. The water in the dumpster is occasionally emptied and disposed of in a controlled way, and periodically, the sedimentary material that accumulates in the dumpster is also disposed of. However, this type of system has several problems.
The dumpsters used are often very large and heavy. When they are deployed at a construction site, it is often very difficult to move them, even when they are empty. Therefore, as the construction site changes, it may be desirable to move the wash-out container (the dumpster), but that is very difficult because of the weight and cumbersome nature of the wash-out container.
In addition, the wash-out process that uses a conventional wash-out container requires external access to water. That is, there must be a constant source of clean water for use in performing the wash-out operation. This can be difficult to obtain or, where a mobile water supply is used, it can be expensive.
Similarly, personnel must constantly monitor the wash-out container to ensure that it is not getting full. If it is full, then wash-out operations must cease, until it can be emptied, because cleaning up a spill can be expensive and time consuming as well. In addition, if the wash-out container is relatively full, even a heavy rain can cause it to overflow.